“Dora Stanhope!” muttered Baxter, and then he and Lew Flapp ran towards the girls.

CHAPTER XXIII

A RUN IN THE DARK

Both girls were thoroughly alarmed by the unexpected appearance of Dan
Baxter and his companion and brought their horses to a standstill.

“How do you do, Miss Stanhope?” said Baxter, with a grin.

“What are you doing here?” demanded Dora, icily.

“Oh, nothing much.”

“Do you know that that is the Rovers’ houseboat?”

“Is it?” said Baxter, in pretended surprise.

“Yes.”

“No, I didn’t know it.”  Baxter turned to Nellie.  “How are you, Miss Laning?  I suppose you are surprised to meet me out here.”

“I am,” was Nellie’s short answer.  Both girls wished themselves somewhere else.

“My friend and I were walking down the river when we heard a man on that houseboat calling for help,” went on Dan Baxter, glibly.  “We went on board and found the captain had fallen down and hurt himself very much.  Do you know anything about him?”

“Why, yes!” said Dora, quickly.  “It must be Captain Starr!” she added, to Nellie.

“He’s in a bad way.  If you know him, you had better look after him,” continued Dan Baxter.

“I will,” and Dora leaped to the ground, followed by Nellie.  Both ran towards the houseboat, but at the gang plank they paused.

“I—­I think I’ll go back and get Dick Rover,” said Dora.  She did not like the look in Dan Baxter’s eyes.

“Yes, and Tom,” put in Nellie.

“You shan’t go back,” roared Dan Baxter.  “Go on and help the poor captain.”

His manner was so rude that Nellie gave a short, sharp scream—­one which reached Tom’s ears, as already recorded.

“Don’t—­don’t go on board just yet, Dora,” she whispered.

“You shall go on board!” went on Dan Baxter.  “Make her go, Flapp.  I’ll attend to this one,” and he caught hold of Dora’s arm.

At this both girls screamed—­another signal of distress which reached Tom’s ears but did no good.

“I don’t see the reason—­” began Lew Flapp.

“Just do as I say, Flapp.  We can make money out of this,” answered Dan Baxter.

He caught Dora around the waist and lifted her into the air.  She struggled bravely but could do nothing, and in a moment more he had her on the houseboat.  Lew Flapp followed with Nellie, who pulled his hair and scratched his face unavailingly.

“Where—­where you going to put ’em?” queried Flapp.

“In here,” answered Dan Baxter, leading the way to one of the staterooms—­that usually occupied by Mrs. Stanhope and Dora.  “Now you stay in there and keep quiet, or it will be the worse for you,” Baxter went on to the girls.

As Nellie was pushed into the stateroom she fainted and pitched headlong on the floor.  Thoroughly alarmed, Dora raised her cousin in her arms.  At the same time Baxter shut the door and locked it from the outside.